Stock Market Gains ₦608 Billion as ASI Rises to 218,113.84 Amid Heavy Trading Activity
The Nigerian stock market extended its bullish momentum on Monday as the All-Share Index (ASI) advanced by 0.44 percent to close at 218,113.84 points, up from 217,167.57 recorded at the end of last week.
Equities market capitalisation increased from ₦139.83 trillion to ₦140.44 trillion, representing a gain of approximately ₦608 billion in investor wealth, supported by strong liquidity and continued buying interest in banking and mid-cap stocks.
Market Activity
Trading activity strengthened significantly, with investors exchanging a total of 983.95 million shares valued at ₦50.77 billion in 76,410 deals.
The surge in trading value above the ₦50 billion mark highlights renewed market participation and sustained institutional activity.
Top Gainers
Market gains were led by Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO), which rose by 10.00 percent from ₦220.00 to ₦242.00.
Other top performers include:
- Union Dicon Salt Plc (UNIONDICON): +10.00% to ₦18.15
- Fidelity Bank Plc (FIDELITYBK): +9.98% to ₦22.05
- Trans-Nationwide Express Plc (TRANSEXPR): +9.92% to ₦6.65
- Access Holdings Plc (ACCESSCORP): +9.87% to ₦32.85
The strong performance of banking and service-related stocks played a key role in sustaining the market’s upward trend.
Top Losers
On the downside, LivingTrust Mortgage Bank Plc (LIVINGTRUST) led the losers’ chart, declining by 10.00 percent to ₦3.69.
Other decliners include:
- Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc (STANBIC): -10.00% to ₦169.70
- Transcorp Power Plc (TRANSPOWER): -9.97% to ₦272.70
- Abbey Mortgage Bank Plc (ABBEYBDS): -9.88% to ₦7.30
- Guinea Insurance Plc (GUINEAINS): -8.80% to ₦1.14
The losses suggest ongoing profit-taking in stocks that recorded strong gains in the previous week.
Top Trades
Trading activity was dominated by banking stocks, with Access Holdings Plc leading in volume with 91.65 million shares traded.
Other active stocks include:
- First HoldCo Plc: ₦4.78 billion
- Zenith Bank Plc: ₦7.00 billion
- Lasaco Assurance Plc: ₦107.49 million
- United Bank for Africa Plc: ₦2.65 billion
This reinforces the continued dominance of the banking sector in driving market liquidity.
Fixed Income and ETF Market
The bond market remained largely unchanged, with most instruments closing flat, indicating stable pricing in the fixed income segment.
The ETF segment recorded a broad decline, with all major instruments posting losses. VETBANK, VETGRIF30, VETGOODS, MERVALUE and VETINDETF all closed lower, reflecting profit-taking and cautious sentiment within the ETF space.
Market Outlook
The Nigerian stock market continues to exhibit bullish momentum, supported by strong liquidity and sustained investor interest in banking and mid-cap stocks.
However, the presence of notable decliners alongside strong gainers highlights a shift toward selective buying. Investors appear to be rotating capital while taking profits in previously overbought stocks.
Going forward, the market is expected to maintain its upward bias, although intermittent pullbacks may occur as investors rebalance positions following recent gains.
